Overview

show how the scientific method forms the basis for both the tools and the theories of astronomy.

Outline

Part 1The Sky—This unit describes the cosmos and traces the history of our attempts to understand it, including the tools developed to help us do so.

Part 2The Stars—This unit describes light and how it carries information to us. It discusses what we have learned about the structure of stars and how they form, age, and die.

Part 3The Universe of Galaxies—This unit describes how stars group together into galaxies, how galaxies are themselves distributed, and how we think this entire cosmic structure began and may end.

Part 4The Solar System—This unit describes the characteristics and origins of the planets and other bodies in our solar system.

Part 5Life—This unit discusses the possibility of life elsewhere.

Evaluation

To receive credit for ASTR 205, you must achieve a course composite mark of at least a “D” (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite mark is as follows:

Activity

Weighting

Assignment 1

10%

Assignment 2

10%

Multiple-choice Quiz 1

10%

Multiple-choice Quiz 2

10%

Short-answer Quizzes (4 x 5%)

20%

Final Exam

40%

Total

100%

The final examination for this course must be taken online with an AU approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Telecourse Student Guide

Other materials

The course materials also include a spectrum viewer. Supplementary video lessons are available as streaming videos through the course website. Alternatively, the videos can be borrowed as DVDs from the Athabasca University Library.

Challenge for Credit Course Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.